Feeding mechanism for rotary printing machines



3 Sheets-Sheetl mum/r03 45; ATTOR/UEK v C W l 4V F'Q.MARQUARDT FEEDING MECHANISM FOR ROTARY PRINTING MACHINES Filed Feb. 9,

mm 3% W25 F C M U 1,603,349

. Q ARDT FEEDING MECHANISM FOR ROTARY PRINTIN MACHINES Filed Feb. 9, 1922 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 W Inventor:

& Atty.

Oct. 19 1926. 1,603,349

F. c. MARQUARDT FEEDING MECHANISM FOR ROTARY PRINTING MACHINES Filed Feb. 9 1922 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 I INVENTOI? ATTOR/VEK sions upon the sheet atented IERANK C.- MARQ'UARDT, 01E BROOKLYN,

new roan, nssrenon no. nrannrcan earns NOTE COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATIQN 01 NEW YORK.

o JEJEEIDING MECHANISM FOR RUTARY EJRJENTING MACHINES.

Application filed February a, 1922. Serial No. aeaieo.

My invention relates to feeding mechanisms for rotary printing machines, and more particularly to a mechanism of this type adapted for use in planographic or t simliar presses,-and having an inclined feed In rotary planographic printing presses, particularlythose used for producing safety tints upon paper money or other negotiable instruments, dampened sheets of paper are used, while in other classes of work, dry sheets are used. These sheets of paper, in sheets of large dimension, are larger than those ordinarily used in undersurface plates, although the size 6f the sheet fed to the press is not material. The. press with which a feeding mechanism of my invention was particularly designed for use is of large dimensions for presses of this type, and has high speed. The manner of feeding the sheets required their passing along a decline to the printing couple, and in actual practice it was found that there was a tendency of the dampened sheets, by

reason of moving inertia and the absence of inherent-elasticity because of the moisture therein, to crumple while passing along this incline, in a manner to form creases therein if fed to the printing couple, or to prevent such feeding, and thus cause ofisetting upon the impression cylinder. While the same condition was not present with dry sheets, there was a tendency of such sheets to pass too] rapidly to the printing couple and thus be improperly fed with relation thereto, with resultant loss of register in succeeding impressions and a high age in the planographic press through mutilation of the paper. resulting from its iniproper positioning with relation to the grippers of the printing couple.

The special construction of feeding mechanism herein described is adapted for use in feeding either dry or dampenedsheets of printing couple wouldrequire either dry or dampened sheets, since planographic presses are capable of printing upon both types of paper, but because when subsequent impresare to be made by n- .rotation of th percentage of West stops will be but momentary,

paper, not. because the conditions of the dersurface presses, it is necessary the safety tint upon dampened as to secure reg ster register which is required with the class of work above referred to. pressions are made by means of an offset planographic press, dry sheets are used.

Vl ith the above conditions in mind, I have devised a feeding mechanism for rotary planographic presses, (which ordinarily are of the offset type) having front gauge stops and associated mechanisms which will re f tard.the movement of a sheet towards said gauge stops, thus brin ing the sheet to rest upon the inclined she f preparatory to its engagement by the grippers upon one or either of the members of the printing couple. The said stops are so actuated as to be interposed in the path of a sheet advancing towards the printing couple under gravity, by means synchronized with the e members of the printing couple, which means are also operative upon said stops so as to move them from the ath of movement of the sheet substantially simultaneously with the engagement of the sheet by said grippers, and maintain them in this position until the sheet has, in its entirety, passed said stops. The dwell of said sheets while in engagement with said particularly with a high speed press, which will require the ra id ,advance of succeeding sheets to meet the demands of the printing couple.

I have found, however, particularly with dampened sheets, that even with this slight dwellthere is a tendency of the sheets to collapse or crumple with resultant interference in the feeding movement of the sheet If subsequent ime5,

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' under thecontroloif printing couple, and N0 sometimes the formation of creases preventing an imperfect impression even in the event that the sheet is fed from the feeding mechanism to the printing couple.

To meet this condition, I associate with the front gauge stop structure, a smoothing .mechanism which will be brought into en- 'ple. This smoothing mechanism is so actuated as to be normally out of the path of the sheet being fed to the front gauge stops, being engaged therewith substantially simultaneously with the withdrawal of said stops from engagement with the front edge of the sheet. The retard mechanism acts upon the sheets before the engagement of the forward I edge thereof with the front gauge stops, said mechanism ofiering a frictional resistance to the passage of the sheets with relation thereto, in their progress toward the stops.

The feed shelf is 'so constructed as to itself olfer slight resistance to the movement of the paper thereover, incidentally directing the edge of the paper toward said retard device.

In a mechanism made in accordance with my invention, I preferabl so construct said retard device that its resistance to the passage of the paper may be regulated, thus accommodating the mechanism to different weights or thicknesses of paper.

Various adjustment devices are provided for conforming or adjusting the front gauge stop mechanism to, or in relation to' the gripper mechanism upon themember of the printing couple with which it is associated.

The invention consists primarily in a feeding mechanism for rotary printing machines embodying therein an inclined feed shelf section, front gauge stops co-operating therewith, means whereby said stops may be alternately interposed in the path of movement of the sheet upon said shelf, and removed therefrom, and yieldable means adapted to have movement with said stops, whereby when said stops are in the path of movement of a sheet, said yieldable means will operatively engage said feed shelf for checking the movement of said sheet prior to the engagement of the forward edge thereof with said stops; and in such other novel features of constructionand combination of parts as are hereinafter set forth and described, and more particularly pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

Referring to the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a sectional view of a feeding mechanism embodying my invention;

- Leoaeae 1 Fig. 2 is an isometric view of a portion of said feeding mechanism upon a larger scale; and

Fig. 3 is a front view of the smoothing element and its associated actuating parts.

Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views.

In the embodiment of my invention shown in the drawings, 10 indicates a fragmentary portion of the plate cylinder and 11 a portion of the impression cylinder. The cylinder 10 is the ordinary rotary planographic press cylinder adapted to have mounted thereon anv ofiset printing blanket 12, .or a plurality of such blankets. The cylinders 10 and 11 are each provided with a gripper mechanism 13 and 14, the former of which, 18, is adapted to receive sheets from the feedin mechanism of my invention and deliver t em to the grippers 1 1 upon the impression cylinder. Mounted adjacent the printing couples 10 and 11 is an inclined shelf 15 adapted to receive sheets of paper from a delivery tape mechanism 16, the sheets being fed to the tapes of said last named mechanism by hand from a feed shelf not shown. The roller 17 is a mere stop gap arranged between the tapes 16 and the inclined shelf 15, so as to prevent the forward edge of the sheet dropping between said tapes and said shelf 15.

The forward edge of the inclined shelf 15 is supported by a rigid metallic fitting or fittings 18, which fittings also carry thin plates 19 having forwardly projecting tongues 20. (lo-operating with each of said plates 19 is a front gauge stop 21 having a forked end 22 adapted to straddle the tongue 20 and thus extend across the plane of the upper surface of the plate 19 to avoid any possibility of a sheet passing between said gauge stop and said plate.

The forward end of the plate 19 extends beyond the forward edge of the shelf 15, thus causing the edge of the sheet which is engaged, and rectilineally positioned, by the downturned forked ends 22 of the stops 21, to project beyond the edge of the shelf 15 in a manner Where it can be readily engaged by the gripper mechanism 13 upon the cylinder 10.

The sto gauge arms 21 are carried b and rotata le with a shaft 23, which sha t is adapted to be rocked at intervals which ensure proper timing in the actuation of said stops by the cam and lever mechanism 24: co-operating with the crank arm 25 carried by said shaft 23. Any desired mechanism other than that indicated in the drawings, may be employed, however, a detailed construction of this mechanism being immaterial to the invention.

Carried by each gau e stop 21 is a curved spring 26 projecting ownwardly and forwardly in substantial engagement with each rec neonate plate 19, said spring being of suficiently light tension to offer a yielding resistance to the passage of a sheet between it and said plate.

The tension of the spring 26 is such as to cause it to have a normal tendency to move away from the plate 19, which tendency is overcome by means of an adjustable tension rod 27 having a cross head 28 engaging said spring 26 rearwardly of the forward edge thereof, in a manner to develop that resistance necessary to roperly retard the progress of the sheet etween said spring and said plate 19. The rod 27 is normally thrust toward the spring 26 by the coiled spring 29 engaging a spring seat 30 upon said rod and a spring seat upon the fitting carrying the stop gauge arm 21. An adjustment nut 31 operates upon screw threads towards the end of said rod to raise it against'the tension of the spring 29, a lock nut 32 being employed to avoid lossof adjustment sccured through the nut 31.

Any desired number of front gauge stops may be mounted upon the rock shaft, although ordinarily only two such stops are employed upon a press.

The forward edge of the spring 26 is pro vided with a projecting tongue 33 adapted to enter a notch in the downturned end 22 of the stop 21 so as to permit the establishment and maintenance of the proper relation between said retard spring 26 and the plate 19 without regard to the stop 21.

The gauge stops hnd the retard spring above referred to are for the purpose of properly engaging the forward edge of a sheet advancing upon the shelf 15 for posi tioning the sheet for longitudinal register, lateral register being secured by other mechanisms and devices which form no part of the present invention.

As stated, however, the sudden stoppage I of the paper after its descent by gravity up on the shelf 15 has a tendency to crumple the sheet, to obviate which condition, 1 provide means which will engage the sheet after the stops are raised to provide clearance for the withdrawal of the sheet from the shelf 15 by the printing couple grippers, and during the feeding of the sheet by the printing couple, which means has a soft yieldable surface which will offer sufficient.

resistance to the passage of the sheet thereunder to remove any folds therein without impeding the sheet in its feeding movement. This means in the form of the invention shown, comprises a laterally extending brush 34 of a width substantially equal to, or greater than, the maximum width of any sheet which the feeding mechanism is capable of handling, mounted upon a rock shaft 35 acted u on by a torsion spring 36 or other means having a normal tendency to ra se he br stles of said br sh a o e the shelf 15 for a sufiicient distance to permit the passage of a sheet thereunder, and out of engagement therewith. The bristles of this brush 34: are sufficiently stiff, or sufficiently thick, to smooth down any wrinkles the lowering of said last named mechanism,

said brush will be raised, and with the raising of said stop mechanism, said brush will be lowered.

' In the form of the invention shown, the actuating mechanism for the brush 34 con sists of crank arms 37 and 33 carried by the shaft 35 and extending adjacent the tappets 39 and 40 carried by and movable with the shaft 23.

To regulate the time of the functioning of the brush and for controlling the pres sure exerted thereby upon the sheet when the brush is in the operative relation thereto, l mount the tappets 39 and 40 so that they may be adjusted circumferentially of the shaft 23 and provide means whereby they may be set in any adjusted position.

In the form of the invention shown, 1 provide the shaft 23 with fined collars ll and 42 having the lugs 43 and as thereon respectively, the sleeves t5 and 46 carrying the tappets 39 and f0 being loosely mounted upon the shaft 23 adjacent said collars, and being operatively and adjusta bly'connected therewith by means of adjustmerit screws passing through the opposite arms of a forlr t? carried by the sleeve and bearing against the opposite faces of the lug 43 carried by the collar 41. Said screws are indicated at 48 and 4:9? The other sleeve 46 is provided with a similar forked portion 50 carrying adjustment screws corresponding with the screws 4:8-49, engaging the lug 44 upon the collar 42.

To limit the returnoscillatory movement of the shaft 35 under the control of the spring 36 provide said shaft with stop arms 51 and 52 adapted to engage the rock shaft 23 so as to hold the brush 34: in a permanent relation to the'shelf l5 and permit a change in the timing of the actuation of said brush through the tappets 39 and 4rd.

The lower end of the shelf 15 is curved adjacent the plate 19 upon an arc of long radius so as to gradually change the direction of movement of the forward edge of the sheet before it engages front gauge stop and incidently slightly retard the movement of the sheet.

The front gauge stop arm 2i is so mounted upon the shaft 23 as to be capable of j ment l nsi sdlnall of and Gill its

, also to be capable of adjustment radially thereof or toward and from the printing couple, the former of which adjustments is to accommodate the said stops and their assoeiated mechanisms to sheets of different widths, and the latter of which is to facilitate the assembling of the machine so as to secure the desired co-operating relation of parts without extreme nicety in the dimensions of these mechanisms.

in securing the above adjustments, I pro vide a split collar 53 enclosing the shaft 23 and having thereon parallel housings 54: and 55 adapted to receive stems 56 and 57 carried by the arm 21.

The stem 56 has a screw-threaded opening therein engaged by the'serew 58 by means of which rectilineal movement may be imparted to said arm and its appurtenances in its entirety. a

59 indicates a set screw by means of which the adjustment referred to may be made permanent.

, chines is substantially as follows The sheets to be fed are delivered by hand to the tapes 16, the continual traverse of which will deliver sheets successively to the shelf 15. Since this shelf is inclined toward the meeting point of the members of the printing couple, the rate of movement of the sheet will be accelerated by gravity before it is entirely upon said shelf 15, and thereis a tendency for this sheet to acquire considerable momentum before the forward edge thereof reaches a position where it can be engaged by the grippers 13 upon the plate or form cylinder. Tn fact, the gravity feed of the sheets along the shelf 15 is such a factor that T have found it essential to providethe stop mechanism herein described in order to secure a proper and timely position ing of the forward edge of the sheet to ensure the properco-operation of the grippers 13 with the delivery movement of the sheet. Bet-ween succeeding impressions and While a sheet is being delivered tothe shaft 15, the shaft 23 will be so positioned by the cam and lever mechanism 24 that the downturned edge 22 of the front gauge stop arm 21 will be projected across the edge of the plate 19 so as to arrest movement of the sheet under gravity upon the shelf 15, and thus prevent overrunning of the sheet with relation to the feed shelf and the gripper mechanism. 13, and position the sheet where it will be engaged by said gripper mechanism,irrespective of anyslight variance in the timing of the positioning of the forward edge of the sheet and of the movement of said grippers relative to the plate 19.

The sudden stoppage of the sheet, particularly when dampened sheets are used, (and it has been the general practice heretofore to use such sheets when the tint background impression is to be followed by an impression from an undersurface plate) had a tendency to slightly crumple or wrinkle the sheet so that there was a certain loss or wastage from imperfect impressions. The spring tongue 26 is used so as to frictionally engage the sheet before its engagement with the downturned end 22 of the front gauge stop 21 and thus retard the sheet slightly before its engagement with said front gauge stop and check this tendencyat least adjacent the forward edge of the sheet.

The adjustability of the tension of said spring tongue permits regulation of the pressure exerted thereby so as to ensure uniformity in the functioning of the feeding mechanism or its adjustment to sheets of different weight or thickness.

' reach a position adjacent the plate 19 where they can engage the forward edge of the sheet, and just prior to the movement of the shaft 23 to lift the arm 21 through the control of the cam and lever mechanism 24.

The tongues 20 are used so as to permit the major part of the sheet adjacent the forward edge thereof to project beyond the edge of the plate 19 where it may be readily engaged by the gripper mechanism 13.

Virhile the front gauge stops are positioned in the path of movement of a sheet along the shelf 15, the brush 34 will be elevated with relation to said shelf by the spring 36 acting on the'shaft 35, with the crank arms 37 and 38 positioned in the path of movement of the tappets 39 and 40.

Hence, simultaneously with the elevation of the front gauge stops by the-oscillation of the shaft 23, the tappets 39 and 40 will, through their engagement with the crank arms 37 and 38, rock the shaft 35 against the tension of the spring 36, and thus force the brush into engagement with a sheet upon the shelf 15 so that as the sheet is thereafter drawn from the shelf 15 by the gripper mechanism 13 in the first instance, and its associated gripper mechanism 14 upon the impression cylinder subsequently there to, the engagement of said brush with a sheet will have a smoothing action thereon which will take out any'wrinkles which may have been formed, without any likelihood of disturbing the position of the sheet with a resultant loss of register.

The circumferential adjustment of the ber of printing 39 and 40 with relation to the shaft 23 will permit the regulation of the pressure of said brush according to the needs of different qualities of paper, as well as the timing of the actuation of said brush, it being desirable to have the brush 34 engage tappets' the sheet substantially simultaneously with,

or instantly following, its engagement by the grippers 13.

The tappets 39 and 40 may be so set as to normally maintain the brush 34 at" any de sired distance from the shelf 15 and to be constantly engaged with the crank arms 37 and 38 so as to cause the brush tobe moved downwardly simultaneously with the initial upward movement of the front gauge stops, or they may be set in a position where they will be normally disengaged from said crank arms so as to cause a very slight delay in the actuation of the brush, although the abrupt rise upon the cam forming a part of the mechanism 24, will afford no substantial dwell under this condition. In fact any variance in the time interval between the actuation of the front gauge stops and the brush is so small as to be negligible, and the adjustability of the tappets 39 and 40 for all practical purposes is merely for the purpose of varying the smoothin friction developed upon the paper by t e brush or other smoothing device 34.

The length of the cam'forming a part of the mechanism 24 is sufficient to hold the front stop gauges elevated and the brush lowered, until the entire sheet has passed from the shelf 15 under the control of the printing couple, it being understood that the number of said cams upon the plate or form cylinder will coincide with the num surfaces thereon, so as to cause the actuation of the feeding mechanism as each plate approaches the printing position.

Immediately following the passage of the rear edge of a sheet from the plate 19 and tongues 20 thereof, the mechanism 24 will restore the shaft 23 to its normal position, thus permitting the spring 36 to impart a return movement to the shaft 35. If by any .chance, a sheet upon the shelf 15 should be so close to the preceding sheet as to approach the plate 19 before said preceding sheet has been entirely withdrawn therefrom, the brush or other smoothing device 34 will engage this sheet, retard it momentarily and thus afford time for the front stop gauges to be restored to their normal operative position in time to check the advance of the sheet and accurately position the forward edge thereof. Since buckling of the sheet will not 00- cur until the forward edge thereof meets a that any action of the brush upon t e sheet proximity to the downturned end shown in the non-yielding member, it is apparent 1 in the manner immediately above referred to, will not interfere with the bringing of the forward edge thereof into the desired rectilineal position through its engagement with the alined front gauge stops 21-22.

The tension of the spring ton ue 26 may be varied to secure the desire action of this tongue upon the sheets, the location of the forward edge of said tongue in close 22 of the front gauge stop delaying the development of a braking action upon the sheet until it is in substantial engagement with said stop.

It is to be noted that since the tongue 26 is carried by and movable with the arm 21, it will be elevated with said arm so as to relieve the sheet from any friction therefrom during the feeding movement of the sheet under the control of the printing couple.

It is not my intention to limit the invention to the precise details of construction accompanying drawings, it being apparent that such may be varied without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having described the invention, what I claim as newand desire to have protected by Letters Patent, is:-

1. A feeding mechanism for rotary printing machines embodying therein an inclined feed shelf section, front gauge stops co-operating therewith, means whereby said stops may be alternately interposed in the path of movement of the sheet upon said shelf, and removed therefrom, yieldable means adapted to have movement with said stops, whereby when said stops are in the path of movement of a sheet, said yieldable means will operatively engage said feed shelf for checking the movement of said sheet prior to the engagement of the forward edge thereof with said stops and a spring-pressed member operative upon said yieldable means and y ilelcflingly forcing them towards said feed si el 2. A feeding mechanism for rotary printing machines embodying therein an inclined feed shelf section, front gauge stops cooperating therewith, means whereby said stops may be alternately interposed in the path of movement of the sheet upon said shelf, and removed therefrom, retard springs carried by said stops respectively movable therewith, afid adapted to operatively engage said feed. shelf when said stops are interposed in the path of, movement of the sheet, whereby movement of the sheet is checked prior to the engagement of its forward edge with said stops and a springpressedmember operative upon said retard springs respectively and forcing them towards said feed shelf.

3. A feeding mechanism for rotary printing machines embodying therein an inclined feed shelf section, front gauge stops cooperating therewith, means whereby said stops may be alternately interposed in the path of movement of the sheet upon said shelf, and removed therefrom, retard springs carried by said stops respectively movable therewith and adapted to operatively engage said feed shelf when said stops are interposed in the path of movement of the sheet, whereby movement of the sheet is checked prior to the engagement of its forward edge with said stops, a spring-pressed member carried by each stop and operative upon the retard spring carried thereby and means for varying the operative effect of said spring-pressed member to vary the tension of said retard spring and the resistance afforded thereby to the passage of a sheet between same and the shelf.

4. A feeding mechanism for rotary printing machines embodying therein an inclined feed shelf section, front gauge stops 00- operating therewith, means whereby said stops may be alternately interposed in the path of movement of the sheet upon said shelf, and removed therefrom, retard springs carried by said stops respectively,

adapted to operatively engage said feed shelf, whereby movement of the sheet is checked prior to the engagement of its forward edge with said stops, meanscarried by each stop and operative upon the retard spring carried thereb to vary the tension of said spring and tlie resistance afforded thereby to the passage of a sheet between same and the shelf, said springs being so tensioned as to have normal movement away from the feed shelf, rods carried by stop gauges and forcing said springs toward said shelf,.springs acting upon said rods, and

means regulating the tension of said last named s rings.

5. A ceding mechanism for rotary printing machines embodying therein an inclined feed shelf section, narrow projections extending forwardly of said shelf, front gauge stops each having a downturned forked edge adapted to straddle a projection upon said lates, whereby the forward. edge of a sheet is projected beyond said shelf when in engagement with said gauge, stops, means whereby said stops may be alternately interposed in the path of movement of the sheet upon said shelf, and removed therefrom, yieldable means adapted to have movement with said stops, whereby when said stops are in the path of movement of a sheet, said yieldable means will operatively engage said feed shelf for checking the movement of said sheet prior to the engagement of the forward edge thereof with said stops and a spring-pressed member operative upon said yieldable means and yieldingly forcing them towards said feed shelf.

ing machines embodying therein an inclined feed shelf section, narow projections extending forwardly of said shelf, front gauge stops each having a downturned forked edge adapted to straddle a projection upon said shelf, whereby the forward edge of a sheet is projected beyond said shelf when in engagement with said gauge stops, means whereby said stops may be alternately interposed in the path of movement of the sheet upon said shelf, and removed therefrom, and retard springs caried by said stops respectively and each having a projecting tongue passing through the downturned forked end of a gauge stop, said springs being adapted to operatively engage said feed shelf when said stops are interposed in the path of movement of a sheet, whereby movement of the sheet is checked prior to the engagement of its forward edge with said stops.

7. A feeding mechanism for rotary printing machines embodying therein an inclined feed shelf section, narrow projections extending forwardly of said shelf, front gauge stops each having a downturned forked edge adapted to straddle a projection upon said shelf, whereby the forward edge of a sheet is projected beyond said shelf when in engagement with said gauge stops, means whereby said stops may be alternately interposed in the path of movement of the sheet upon said shelf, and removed therefrom, re tard springs carried by said stops respectively and each having a projecting tongue passing through the downturned forked end of a gauge stop, said springs being adapted to operatively engage said feed shelf when said stops are interposed in the path of movement of a sheet, whereby movement of the sheet is checked prior to the engagement of the forward edge with said stops, and

means whereby said gauge stops and the retard springs carried thereby may be adjusted toward or from the forward edge of said feed shelf.

8. A feeding mechanism for rotary printing machines embodying therein an' inclined feed shelf section, front gauge stops cooperating therewith, means whereby said stops may be alternately interposed in the path of movement of the sheet upon said shelf, and removed therefrom, and retard springs carried by said stops respectively, adapted to operatively engage said feed shelf, whereby movement of the sheet is checked prior to the engagement of its forward edge with said stops, said feed shelf being curved adjacent its forward edge.

9. A feeding mechanism for rotary printing machines embodying therein an inclined feed shelf section, thin plates projecting forwardly thereof toward the printing couple, projections upon said plates, front gauge stops each having a downturned forked edge e. A feeding mechanism for rotary printadapted to straddle a projection upon sai Leoaeaa plates, whereby the forward edge of a sheet 1s projected beyond said shelf when 111 cugagement with said gauge stops, means whereby said stops may be alternately interposed in the path of movement of the sheet upon said shelf, and removed therefrom,

- yieldable means adapted to have movement with said stops, whereby when said stops are in. the path of movement of a sheet; said yieldable means will operatively engage said feedshelf for checking the movement of said sheet prior to the engagement of the forward edge thereof with said stops and a spring-pressed member operative upon said y1eldable means and yieldingly forcing them toward said feed shelf.

10. A feeding mechanism for rotary printing machines embodying therein an inclined feed shelf section, front gauge stops cooperating therewith, means whereby said stops may be alternately interposed in the path of movement of the sheet upon said shelf, and removed therefrom, yieldable means adapted to have movement with said stops, whereby when said stops are in the path of movement of a sheet, said yieldable means will operatively engage said feed shelf for checking the movement of said sheet prior to the engagement of the forward-edge thereof with said stops, and a smoothing device operative upon the sheet while it is being fed from said feed shelf.

11. A feeding mechanism for rotary printing machines embodying therein-an lnclined feed shelf section, front gauge stops cooperating therewith, means whereby said stops may be alternately interposed in the path of movement of the sheet upon said shelf, and removed therefrom, yieldable means adapted to have movement with said 1 stops, whereby when said stops are in the tive upon the sheet while it is clined feed shelf section, front gauge stops path of movement of a sheet, said yieldable means will operatively engage said feed shelf for checking the movement of said sheet prior to the engagement of the forward edge thereof with said stops, a smoothing device operabeing fed from said feed shelf, said smoothing device bein movable toward and from said feed shel and meanswhereby it. is moved toward said feed shelf simultaneously with the movement of the front gauge stops away from the feed shelf, whereby said smoothing device is inoperative upon the sheet prior to its engagement with said front gauge stops and is made operative with relation thereto while a sheet is being withdrawn by the printing couple from said shelf.

12. A feeding mechanism for printing machines embodying therein an inco-operating therewith, means whereby said stops may be alternately interposed in the path of movement of the sheet upon said shelf, and removed therefrom,

means for I with the actuation of said sha 't rotary.

checking the movement of said sheet prior to the engagement, of the forward edge thereof with said stops, a shaft adjacent said stop'gauges, a. brush pivotally mounted upon said shaft, a torsion spring upon said shaft and operative upon said brush, to impart movement thereto away from said feed shelf, and means carried by the actuating means for said front gauge stops whereby said brush will be moved against the tension of said spring simultaneously with the raising of said stops.

13. A feeding mechanism for rotary printing machines embodyin therein an inclined feed shelf section, a roc shaft mounted adjacent and above same, front gauge stops carried by said shaft, means actuated in synchronism with the printing couple whereby said shaft will be alternately lowered and raised so as to be interposed in the path of movement of a sheet upon said shelf, and will be removed from adjacent the shelf substantially simultaneously with the engagement of a sheet by the gripper mechanism upon the printing couple, means for checking the movement of said sheet prior to the engagement of the forward edge thereof with said stops, a shaft parallel with said first named shaft, a brush pivotally mounted upon said last named shaft, a torsion spring upon said shaft and operative upon said brush to impart movement thereto away from said feed shelf, stops carried by said brush and adapted to engage said first named shaft to limit the operative effect of said spring, tappets carried by said brush, and means carried by said first named shaft and adapted to engage said ta pets, whereby carrying said front gauge stops, said brush will be permitted to have movement away from said feed shelf, and with the movement of said. stop carrying shaft to move said stops away from said feed shelf, said brush will be moved toward said feed shelf.

14. A feeding mechanism for rotary printing machines embodying therein an inclined feed shelf section, a rock shaft mounted adjacent and above same, front gauge stops carried by said shaft, means actuated in synchronism with the printing couple whereby said shaft will be alternately, loweredand raised so as to be interposed in the path of movement of a sheet upon said shelf, and will be removed from adjacent the shelf substantially simultaneously with the engagement of a sheet bythe gripper mechanism upon the printing couple, means for checking the movement of said sheet prior to the engagement of the forward edge thereof with said stops, a shaft parallel with said first named shaft, a brush pivotally to away from said feed shelf,stops carried by said brush and adapted to engage said first named shaft to limit the operative effect of said spring, tappets carried-by said brush, 5 means carried by said first named shaft and adapted to engage said tappets, whereby with the actuation of said shaft carrying said front gauge stops, said brush will be permitted to have movement away from said 10 feed shelf, and with the movement of said stop carrying shaft to move said stops away from said feed shelf, said brush will be moved toward said feed shelf, and adjustment means whereby the operative effect of said last named means may be varied to regulate the extent of movement of said brush toward or from said shelf.

In witness whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature, this 1st day of February, 1922.

FRANK C. MARQUARDT. 

